Scene of worship and human sacrifice at a native American or Mexican temple. The victim's heart is cut out before an idol or statue by a priest with a knife. The priest's assistants hold the victim by all four limbs. Includes feathered headdress, statues of men in feathered headdresses and garments, and an alcove holding the idol who holds snakes, arrows, and a feathered shield.

description

Scene of worship and human sacrifice at a native American or Mexican temple. The victim's heart is cut out before an idol or statue by a priest with a knife. The priest's assistants hold the victim by all four limbs. Includes feathered headdress, statues of men in feathered headdresses and garments, and an alcove holding the idol who holds snakes, arrows, and a feathered shield.

Huitzilopochtli, whose name means "Blue hummingbird on the left," was the Aztec god of the sun and war. The turquoise or fire serpent (xiuhcoatl) was his mystical weapon. The offering of the victim's heart to the gods satisfied the Aztec belief that the sun would rise again nourished by the hearts of men. This image is derived from Theodor de Bry's America, Pt. 9, plate 8. See also Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, [Historia general de los hechos de los castellanos], Antwerp, 1728 (07376-9), for a later version of this image.

notes

Huitzilopochtli, whose name means "Blue hummingbird on the left," was the Aztec god of the sun and war. The turquoise or fire serpent (xiuhcoatl) was his mystical weapon. The offering of the victim's heart to the gods satisfied the Aztec belief that the sun would rise again nourished by the hearts of men. This image is derived from Theodor de Bry's America, Pt. 9, plate 8. See also Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, [Historia general de los hechos de los castellanos], Antwerp, 1728 (07376-9), for a later version of this image.